Bears Star Joe Thuney Lands at No. 49 on NFL Top 100 After Dominant First Season in Chicago
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney finally earned his first appearance on the NFL Top 100 list, checking in at No. 49 after a remarkable 2025 season.
The ranking is certainly an honor, but it also raises an interesting question: is No. 49 actually too low?
After all, Thuney wasn’t just one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen last season. He was arguably the best.
Joe Thuney Helped Transform Chicago’s Offensive Line
One of the biggest reasons behind the Chicago Bears’ division-winning season was the dramatic improvement of their offensive line.
Chicago entered 2025 looking to better protect quarterback Caleb Williams after a disastrous rookie season that saw him absorb an NFL-high 68 sacks. Thuney played a major role in fixing that problem.
The veteran guard immediately stabilized the interior of the line and helped turn one of Chicago’s biggest weaknesses into a strength.
The results spoke for themselves. The Bears captured their first NFC North title since 2018 and won their first playoff game since 2010, with Thuney serving as the foundation of the offense up front.
The Numbers Are Ridiculous
Thuney’s production was elite across the board. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished the season with an outstanding 88.6 pass-blocking grade, the highest mark among 81 qualified guards.
- Allowed zero sacks
- Allowed one quarterback hit
- Committed just two penalties
- Played 99.5% of Chicago’s offensive snaps
- Logged 643 pass-blocking snaps
- Allowed pressure on only 4.5% of pass-blocking reps
Those aren’t just good numbers. They’re the kind of statistics that define All-Pro seasons.
Awards Piled Up in 2025
Thuney’s dominance didn’t go unnoticed.
The veteran became the inaugural recipient of the NFL’s new Protector of the Year Award, recognizing the league’s best offensive lineman. He was also voted the Associated Press’ top interior offensive lineman and earned recognition as the league’s most outstanding blocker during NFL Honors.
Those accolades came on top of an already decorated résumé.
The four-time Super Bowl champion has now made four consecutive Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors for three straight seasons.
Few offensive linemen in the NFL can match that level of sustained excellence.
Why Is This His First Top 100 Appearance?
Perhaps the most surprising detail is that this is Thuney’s first-ever appearance on the NFL Top 100 list.
That’s remarkable considering he just completed his 10th NFL season and has been one of the league’s premier guards for nearly a decade.
Offensive linemen are notoriously overlooked in player rankings because their work often goes unnoticed compared to quarterbacks, receivers, and pass rushers. Thuney appears to have finally broken through that barrier after one of the best seasons of his career.
Is No. 49 High Enough?
The fact that Thuney came in at No. 49 feels more like a reflection of positional bias than performance.
When a player is:
- Named the NFL’s best offensive lineman
- Earns All-Pro honors
- Anchors a division-winning offense
- Doesn’t allow a single sack all season
…there’s a strong argument he belongs much higher than the middle of the Top 100.
Regardless of where he landed, the ranking shows how much respect he’s earned from players around the league.
For the Bears, that’s what matters most.
Thuney’s arrival helped accelerate Caleb Williams’ development, transformed Chicago’s offensive line, and played a major role in turning the Bears into contenders. No. 49 is a nice acknowledgment, but based on his 2025 performance, there’s a legitimate case that one of the NFL’s best guards deserved an even higher spot.
